EDITORlAL

Endorsements
,reflect
our county
,
Mix of incumbents, challengers in 51st House
.
race mirror our corrunon interests, differences
The Dominion Posl is endorsing Barbara Evans Fleis-
chaue4 Bill Flanigan, Amanda Pasdon, Joe Statler and
John Williams in the 51st House District race.
Most legislative districts appear as if they were drawn
based on everything from politics to a creek's boundary
. Few can be explained by common interests
-
likenesses
.
-
but that's not true of the 51st House District.
It encompasses the entirety of Monongalia County
except for a handful of voting precincts.
'
But at the very same time, Monongalia County's dif-
'
ferences help define this legislative district, much like our
,
endorsements in this race.
Fleischauer is an incumbent with longtime experience
-
nine two-year terms. Yet, her lengthy tenure has not
mellowed her a bit. She remains one of the most progressive
lawmakers not
just
from our area, but in the Legislature.
A tireless advocate for women and children, she also
champions small businesses and veterans. She appears to
be one of the most prolific lead sponsor of bills
-
many
" that get signed
-
among all legislative candidates.
Flanigan is a newcomer to the political arena, and like
Fleischauer, is also an attorney His candidacy was
sparked after one of his daughters challenged him to do
something more than rail about issues.
"
He walks aiconservative line on many issues, including
the Second Amendment and support for the coal industry
,'
Yet, he also mirrors the beliefs of many in this district,
:who
support medical marijuana, civil unions for gay
couplqs and wants to do more than keep putting Band-Aids
on our area infrastructure.
-
Pasdon is the only other incumbent we endorsed, who is
running for a third term.
She also sports a conservative stripe, yet has shown the
-
ability to reach across the political aisle and advocates for
.
continuing to diversify our state's economy
'
She maintains we can take the lessons we have learned
'from
our own local, diverse economy into every corner of
; West Virginia.
',
Statler comes to this election having not only served this
- community as a volunteer for many years, but also in elected
office on the county's Board'of Education for a decade.
: Though Statler hails from a mining background, he
'insists on developing our natural resources in a safe and
'
responsible manner.
Also, true to his dedication to our county's school
- system, he
puts education atop his list of priorities.
'
Williams' age is deceiving
-
he's 24. Yet, he comes to
'
this race with not only experience in student government
'at
WVU, but has also done his homework on the issues.
-
Upon further questioning about his positions he ap-
pears to never lack detailed answers.
-
He often
points to the latest research
-
on everything
from burning coal more cleanly to sensors that can
- remotely determine a storage tank's volume.